Here's the rest--please read! *************************************************************
“We’re having some, uh…technical difficulties,” Optimus explained. “Teletraan1 doesn’t work for us, and, as you know all too well, we lost Sentinel. What other small computer programs we’ve salvaged from the Axalon are unreliable. A couple nights ago—actually, the night after we lost Silverbolt—something attacked and on purpose messed up our tracking devices.”
“Now what is that supposed to mean?” Cheetor asked, more to himself than to Optimus. “Was it some predacon?”
“I don’t know,” Optimus sighed. “But it seems unlikely that the predacons would only attack the tracking program—more specifically, that they would attack that area of the tracking program which allows us to scan maximal signatures. I’ve asked Rhinox to tamper around with the computer and try to figure something out. I have a sneaking suspicion that whoever did this was no predacon.”
“Still, it could be. Could be Megatron,” Cheetor suggested. “Depth Charge fought him last night.”
“He was alone on a strange plateau, where gravity seems to be disoriented,” Depth Charge explained. “I don’t know what he was doing, but…I have to say Optimus has a point.”
“About what?” the maximal leader asked.
“About the attacker not being a predacon. Lately I’ve sensed someone out there.” Depth Charge did not say the other part out loud: the strange feeling that whoever he sensed was from Omicron. But that was impossible! Every Omicron citizen was dead excepting himself.
“It’s just a fluke, maybe,” Depth Charge said. He changed the subject. “Blackarachnia has changed since Silverbolt died. She says she doesn’t want to live anymore. Made me promise not to tell you guys where she was. She is gonna die if she doesn’t start taking care of herself. Got pretty ripped up the other night.”
“What?!” Cheetor exclaimed, suddenly full of worry. “Is she okay?”
“Thanks to me,” said Depth Charge. “But what’s puzzling me is what could have done that to her. No wild animal can bite through metal like that.”
Cheetor shuddered involuntarily. “How can she be okay if she was that bad?”
“She has Transmetal 2 self-repair technology of the most advanced kind,” Depth Charge said.
“That doesn’t make me worry any less,” Cheetor remarked. He realized what he had said and there was an awkward silence. “Please tell us where she is,” he muttered.
“I’ll think about it,” Depth Charge replied.
***
It was the fifth day since Silverbolt had died; Blackarachnia could not stop herself from counting. She was a little puzzled right now—she knew his death would hurt her emotionally…but physically? Lately, she had a horrible pain in her chest which had been unnoticeable the first few days because of her emotional pain. Now that she was not crying every ten minutes, she could feel the pain.
Yesterday had been terrible: it was the day Depth Charge had rescued her just for the sake of lying to her and hearing her most private thoughts. Today, however, had been a good day for her, because she had had no time to think about Silverbolt. She had spent the whole day hiding and running from the maximals which were trying to find her. That treacherous aqua-bot Depth Charge had broken his promise and told everybody where she was. This fact, of course, did not cause as much anger in her as confusion. Depth Charge told Optimus where Blackarachnia was, but why? It was not like Depth Charge could be that worried about her; he respected all maximals but had pretty much sworn off of getting close to anyone. He was afraid Rampage might end up killing anyone he dared call a friend.
Now Blackarachnia was at the promised rendezvous point to meet Knight. The disfigured wolf was punctual. Blackarachnia marveled again at Knight’s similarity to Silverbolt’s beast mode. Those noble, amusing golden dog eyes were his, as was the dignified way he carried himself. These features almost made up for the fact that Knight was tail-less, had disfigured toes, and scars on his back. Blackarachnia could not help thinking that if there were big, soft wings in place of those scars, talons in place of those disfigured toes, and a tuft of eagle’s tail-feathers for a tail, Knight would look exactly like Silverbolt. Was this Knight wolf a figment of her imagination, just a dream that Silverbolt might possibly be alive?
“Knight,” Blackarachnia began, “you’ve seen how I can change form from a spider to a robot. Can, uh…can you do that?”
“Change form?” Knight asked in surprise. “I don’t know; I’ve never tried. What do I say?”
“You say: ‘maximize’,” Blackarachnia instructed. “But it…it won’t work without a certain other word. Why don’t you say: ‘Silverbolt, Maximize’?”
“Silverbolt, maximize!” Knight ordered. He was surprised with how much ease and familiarity the words rolled off his tongue. But nothing happened; he did not change. This was awfully crushing for Blackarachnia, and she made him try many more times. It was of no avail.
“Sla—” Blackarachnia began. Silverbolt wouldn’t want her to lose her temper and start saying a bunch of bad words. She shut herself up. But she was not ready to give up on Knight yet. “Don’t you remember anything, Knight?” she asked. “How long have you been with your wolf pack?”
“Not long,” Knight answered. “Only a night and four days.”
A night and four days! Silverbolt had died exactly five days ago! It was too close to be a coincidence! Blackarachnia could not stand this. Knight had told her that he had no memory at all beyond these last four days, and the suspense was driving her mad. Could this be Silverbolt? No. It was impossible!
“I have to go,” the spider-lady said, keeping her cool. “Catcha later.” She paused before walking off. “I will catcha later, won’t I?”
“Of course! I couldn’t stand it any other way!” Knight exclaimed. It seemed like he had always been next to this Blackarachnia person, and he loved being with her. Or maybe he just loved her.
Blackarachnia involuntarily sighed with relief. Knight was her mind’s preoccupation now; he filled her thoughts as she walked through the woods next to a rocky cliff-side.
Suddenly she whirled around and faced the cliff; a familiar laugh had come from up there somewhere. She saw him: Quickstrike. Why was he here? Blackarachnia nearly choked when she realized: this was the cliff that had the cavern in it where they had left Silverbolt’s body. The knight always wanted to be left on the field of battle when he died, so they had respected his wishes and lain him in a little cave close to where the rockslide had been which had killed him. Now here was Quickstrike, messing around with her love’s honorable place of death? No!
Blackarachnia took out her gun and fired, without taking time to aim well, at the predacon. Quickstrike jumped aside.
“Nice try there, sugar-bot!” he hollered. “Y’know, I hoped ya would give up on those stink’n maximals while you still had a pred command code, but since you crossed the Rubicon, you’ve made us predacons pretty angry! We don’t care much for traitors!” He fired a blast of cyber-venom towards the spider.
Blackarachnia jumped out of the way; it was too close for comfort.
“No less crafty though, are ya, femme?” he shouted down at her. “Well, let’s let the records speak: every predacon traitor dies! We got rid ‘o that blasted dino-butt, and we didn’t have to kill your boyfriend: the rockslide did it for us! He he hee, hah ha ha!”
“You shut your scummy mouth!” Blackarachnia roared.
Quickstrike was still laughing. “Now it’s your turn, traitor! In fact, I so dog-gone liked the idea of a kill’n rockslide that I think you deserve one, too! Happy Birthday!” The predacon fired numerous times at a loose-lying pile of boulders. They began to fall. Quickstrike grinned down at Blackarachnia and flew the coop.
That was fine with Blackarachnia. It was perfect. Now, she could die. She could die alongside Silverbolt, just the way he had died—and they would be together again. She stood still as the boulders came.
A loud and vehement wolf-howl broke out, and suddenly Blackarachnia found herself knocked down by someone. The someone forced her onto his back and took off running. It was a wild ride; boulders and rocks were flying in every direction, whizzing sometimes only inches from their heads, and dust blinding them. Blackarachnia then felt a change of light as they entered a dark, shady cavern, out of the reach of the rockslide.
Knight was carrying her on his back. Panting, the silver wolf dropped her gently onto the ground. “Why didn’t you move?” Knight asked, flabbergasted.
Blackarachnia did not answer the question. “You—you saved me!” she screamed, utterly incensed. “You idiot! You ruined it! I was supposed to die! Why did you have to come?!”
“It is my duty ma’am,” the wolf replied, “as a knight, and as a heroic character.”
Blackarachnia’s jaw dropped. Impossible! That was Silverbolt’s voice; it was almost his exact line! She realized suddenly that she was in a cavern—the cavern where they had left Silverbolt’s body! She looked around, but Silverbolt was not there.
There was a long silence.
“You’re Silverbolt,” Blackarachnia exclaimed, trying not to cry. “You are—you have to be Silverbolt! It doesn’t make any sense, but it’s true! You’re a transformer named Silverbolt!!! And now you can come back to the maximals with me and it’ll be heaven!”
“Me? Silverbolt? A Transformer?” Knight asked incredulously. “I told you, my name is Knight, and I’m a wolf. I can’t transform and I have no memory. And I can’t leave my pack.”
Blackarachnia stayed her joy. Of course. How could she convince Knight of his true identity? Maybe if she brought him to see all the maximals…yes, she would show him the maximals one by one, and then his memory would come back. But now she had to go; she had to tell Depth Charge that she had found Silverbolt, and that, ironically, the manta-ray’s lie had come true!
“I’m sorry,” said Blackarachnia; “you be Knight if that’s who you think you are. Will you meet me tonight, and see my friend Depth Charge?”
Still confused, Knight nodded.
Blackarachnia turned to go, but changed her mind. She had to know one more thing. “You may not accept your true identity yet, Knight. I took a long time in accepting mine. You don’t remember who you used to be. But Knight, do you remember me?”
“I think I have always remembered you,” Knight answered, surprising even himself by the words. “Blackarachnia—you’re one of the only memories I have left to hold on to. I feel so…so complete when I’m with you. I just—I just want to be with you.” He laughed. “I know this feeling well—it’s the feeling that binds all hearts and holds all memory—the connector. But I’ve forgotten its name.”
“Its name is love,” said Blackarachnia, and left.
***
Knight and Darkstar were on sentry duty, watching the land from on top of a hill while the rest of the pack got some sleep. The sun was setting and it painted the whole sky a wonderful orange color. Knight appreciated Darkstar’s friendship with him; it was true, the black wolf’s temper could get out of hand sometimes, but then, couldn’t everybody’s?
Darkstar began to talk. “Knight, you know that spider? The one that you insisted on rescuing? It’s true; she was defenseless—but she was not innocent. There’s a balance between honor and duty—for instance, it is not honorable to strike a creature when it is helpless, but it is your duty to destroy the evil. That spider came here to kill us. She is one of many strange creatures called Transformers. They came to this planet and caused ruin.”
“Ruin?” Knight asked. “The spider seemed irreproachable.” He subconsciously sighed, thinking of her.
“No!” Darkstar snapped. “All robots…they only mean to do us wolves harm! They came to our planet and poisoned us with the foul air from their ships, killed us with their wars, burned our forests to ashes with their careless gunfire. You must never ever mingle with them; you must never, ever go back to them.”
“I must never go back to them?” Knight repeated.
“Yes,” Darkstar smiled; “You were once one of them. You were hurt; somebody damaged you badly, as you can see from your disfiguration, and they also made it so you cannot transform. I do not know who did this—I know only that you were helpless. Brent wanted to kill you, but I insisted that you stay alive.”
That was inconsistent, Knight thought. If Darkstar was allowed to spare his life, then why was it wrong for Knight to spare Blackarachnia’s? He thought this was conspicuous, but was too overwhelmed with other thoughts to take it completely in. If Knight himself was a Transformer, then Blackarachnia was right: he belonged with the Transformers. But if Darkstar was right, the robots were threatening evil-doers. Knight should consider himself lucky to be alive—Darkstar should have killed him for his unremembered wrongs. It was all too confusing!
“Say—” Darkstar said, “let me ask you some things. You are in pain. Whenever I see you, you are fighting physical pain. Why? I made sure you were well.”
“I don’t know,” Knight replied. “I think it’s—heartache.”
“Physical heartache?” Darkstar pondered. “Hmm. Well, you have no memory of your past life. Yet, you seem to have a good deal of noblese obligue. Where do you get the obligation to be so noble?”
Knight thought. These two feelings had to have a root. But what was that root, that connector? Knight felt if once he remembered that foundation, he would be free of pain and loss. He could not, however, remember it. “I don’t know!” he repeated, exasperated.
“Never mind,” Darkstar smiled. “Just keep this in your memory: you are indebted to me. So when I need your help with things, you help me. Okay?”
“I guess so…” Knight had the uncomfortable feeling that he was being used.
***
“Depth Charge! You’ll never believe it!” Blackarachnia panted, once she found him.
“You’re right; I probably won’t,” said Depth Charge grumpily, but she could tell that he was happy to see her.
Blackarachnia stopped jumping around. She realized she was glad to see him too.
“The way you females are, I thought you would be angry at me, still,” the ray-bot said. “Look, I’m sorry I lied.”
“That’s okay,” Blackarachnia smiled, “because it wasn’t a lie. Silverbolt is alive!”
Depth Charge looked at her in surprise. Wasn’t it a little too soon to be joking about something like that? Blackarachnia stared back at him, and there was no joke in her eyes.
“Oh no, you’re serious?” Depth Charge exclaimed. “Blackarachnia, I was relieved to see you alive today; but it’s almost better to be dead than to lose your mind!”
“Lose my mind!?” Blackarachnia repeated, growing furious. “But it’s true!”
“Stop it!” Depth Charge snapped. “I said I was sorry for lying, so stop making me feel guilty! Blackarachnia, it’s impossible! Silverbolt died. You were there yourself, and so was I, Optimus, and Cheetor. We helped you drag him into the cave, where he went offline. We saw his spark go out of his body!”
“So?! Rhinox got Optimus’ spark back,” Blackarachnia said. “Maybe somebody got Silverbolt’s! I’m telling you, he’s alive. He’s coming here in a minute, and you’re gonna meet him. Then you’ll see.” She started jumping around and dancing.
Depth Charge suddenly caught her by the hands, and stopped her. To her surprise, he didn’t let go. “Are you crazy?” he asked, deadly serious.
Blackarachnia’s face fell. “Maybe I am. It doesn’t make sense, does it? Maybe—maybe—I was dreaming.”
“You’re lucky,” said Depth Charge. “After Omicron I didn’t have wonderful reveries. I had nightmares. I still have ‘em.” He caught Blackarachnia’s surprised expression, and looked away awkwardly. “You’re the first person I’ve ever told. Well, that won’t make them stop, I’m sure. I suffer everyday, all day. But that’s all too obvious.”
“Not really,” Blackarachnia replied. “Most people think you’re mean and cold rather than constantly in pain. Of course,” Blackarachnia added quickly, “I don’t think of you that way. I just have to be able to get into someone’s character, and then I can understand them. Silverbolt taught me that. You really want friends, don’t you?”
Depth Charge shook his head. “No. Anyone I befriend goes die’n on me.”
“You haven’t tried, have you? Not since Omicron?” Blackarachnia pressed. “Maybe you should try again. It’s actually pretty rare that one of us Beast Warriors die; we always have friends close by to protect us.”
“And with Silverbolt gone, you need protecting,” Depth Charge said in a low voice.
“Do not!” Blackarachnia objected hastily. “What I need is to be left alone by all bots of both factions.”
“Make ya a deal,” Depth Charge said. “Let me keep check’n in on you, so long as you’re out here away from base, and I’ll try and be less closed-minded towards the maximals.”
“Why?” Blackarachnia asked, puzzled.
Depth Charge half-smiled: an expression of exasperation and yet amusement. “Are you really gonna make me say it?” he asked. “I—I don’t want you to…when I saw you earlier…well…it’d kill me if something were to hurt you…again. Like you said, if you can get into character, you understand another person’s feelings.”
Blackarachnia was no less shocked at what Depth Charge was saying than at what she was thinking. This was just what she needed: a friend that understood her, that understood what she was going through. She found herself still holding his hands and leaning on him. She rested her head against his chest.
Depth Charge put his arms loosely around her. He was shaking, his mind flashing scenes of what might happen, now that he had allowed himself to grow close to anyone. Rampage would find out, somehow. Then he would kill Blackarachnia. Slowly, painfully.
“Stop shaking,” Blackarachnia said.
“Why?” Depth Charge asked gruffly.
“You make me nervous.”
“Am I really that scary?”
Blackarachnia smiled. Looking over Depth Charge’s shoulder, she spotted something in the bushes. Knight. Blackarachnia stared at the wolf. He was real. He wasn’t a dream!
Blackarachnia suddenly realized what this might look like to Knight—what was she doing?! She broke away from Depth Charge, but it was too late. Knight was running off into the distance, looking heartbroken.
****************************************
Meanwhile, Cheetor was in his quarters, asleep in his bed with a smile on his face. Yes, he was smiling despite the ever-present unfairness of the world, as he would put it. Though Cheetor now looked a thousand times more mature than he first did when he came to this planet, the little smile he smiled was a child’s. The Transmetal 2 cat was deep in a heavenly dream.
Actually, it was more of a memory than a dream. He remembered being in a beautiful deciduous forest, with golden sunlight filtering through between the leafy roof, and there was Air-razor. She was beautiful, calm, and serene, the great falcon of the forest, and Cheetor’s female hero. Air-razor was like a mother, or a big sister, or even a teacher to Cheetor. Then Tigatron appeared, having walked on his stealthy cat paws into the gorgeous clearing. He transformed into robot mode, snuck up behind Air-razor, and gently put his arms around her. She turned to kiss him.
And there was Cheetor himself, watching from the bushes, a child weary of trying to prove his worth who had strayed into the blissful clearing to spy on his best two friends and role-models.
Tigatron turned and shook his head, spying Cheetor among the bushes. “Nice try, little cat. You need more practice, to stalk the master stalker.”
Cheetor transformed to robot mode. “Affirmative, big cat!” he exclaimed. “So what are you two doing?”
Air-razor, in a silent and explorative mood, turned falcon and took to the sky.
Cheetor gave a puzzled look at Tigatron, who was watching the falcon’s retreating shape with affectionate eyes. “Hey, what’s up, Tigatron?” he asked, folding his arms in a childish manner. “I mean, I know you two like each other and stuff, but why are you getting all mushy?”
Tigatron didn’t answer until Air-razor’s shape was completely out of site, and then he sighed. “Sorry, what was that?”
Cheetor repeated what he had just said with a touch of impatience.
“You’re looking for strength, Cheetor,” said Tigatron. “We all are, in a way. You strive to prove to the others that you are strong. Well, let me tell you this: that there is great strength in inter-bound sparks. Where there is care for a fellow being, where there is love, there is strength.”
Cheetor laughed in his dream, but he awoke to misery. Tigatron had told him that love equals strength, but it wasn’t true. Cheetor was close friends with Tigatron and Air-razor, but they disappeared, and Cheetor didn’t feel strong.
Still, he dreamed by night and wished by day that he could see his friends again.
Cheetor walked over to Rhinox, who was sitting glumly at the computers. “Man, I’m so slagging bored without Blackarachnia and Silverbolt. Oh well, Depth Charge is here, and Rattrap can argue with him till he drops dead. That’s always fun.”
“Just dandy,” said Rhinox unenthusiastically.
“Where’s Optimus?” asked Cheetor.
“Gone to test the predacon computers. He took Depth Charge with him, actually. He’ll be back soon.”
No sooner had the rhino-bot finished talking than Optimus walked in. “It’s affirmative,” he said. “The predacons got their energy signature readers destroyed. Whoever destroyed ours destroyed theirs. And in case you’re wondering, Depth Charge isn’t with me; he wanted to go X-hunting. Rhinox, have you discovered anything?”
“What Depth Charge told us about the plateau is true,” Rhinox answered automatically. “The gravity is extremely disoriented there. When gravity is messed up, other things get messed up too—like time and space.”
“Yes,” Optimus realized. “Before he was killed on Omicron, a professor Black-Comet was arrested for experimenting with gravitational disturbances. His documents say that the time/space tremors can cause a vortex to form.”
“Whoa, whoa, a vortex?!” Cheetor exclaimed. “You mean, like the one that made us first crash on this planet?”
“Sort of,” said Rhinox. “But that was a wormhole, a steady door through time. If there is a vortex on that plateau, it’s an unpredictable one; we know nothing about its effects. With the wormhole, its effects are certifiable, but the alleged Plateau Vortex is unpredictable. I think it has a source: that is, someone or something like the aliens is controlling the vortex. It is obvious Megatron is guessing just like we are, or else he wouldn’t be out on the plateau himself. For all we know, Megatron could be behind it!” Rhinox paused to catch his breath.
“Anyway,” he went on, “I also looked at the parts of the computers that were destroyed by our mysterious visitor. Our computers can pick up no maximal signatures, but each of our energy DNA codes are still encrypted in the computer’s data tracks. Each of us, except Silverbolt.”
“Now what does that tell you?” Optimus pondered.
“Eeh-aaah!” Suddenly Rattrap was flung into the room, landing on his back on the floor with a clang.
“Stay outa my way, mouse,” Depth Charge said, walking into the room. He turned to Optimus with a look devoid of his usual coolness. It was a desperate, almost pleading, but threatening expression. “I need help,” he said.
“Depth Charge, we’re busy at this moment,” Optimus replied smugly.
“Yeah, you’re never around to help us, so why should we help you, fish-breath?” Rattrap snapped. “On the other hand, maybe if you was to say please or somethin’—”
“Please!” Depth Charge shouted angrily. “It’s about Blackarachnia!”
“Tell us where she is!” Cheetor demanded, suddenly interested.
“That‘s just the slag’n thing: I don’t know.” Depth charge looked frantic. “She’s gone crazy. She thinks Silverbolt is alive. I was with her, and then—”
“You were with her?” Cheetor exclaimed. “I knew it! You did know where she was; even after you said you couldn’t find her yesterday.”
“I couldn’t find her yesterday,” Depth Charge retorted with a threatening look in his eyes. “But I found her today. She took off running with some disfigured wolf. I sure hope it wasn’t the thing that nearly scrapped her earlier. I caught up with them; we were right beside the plateau, in some rocks. Then they just disappeared: Blackarachnia and the wolf.”
“The Vortex,” Rhinox whispered.
“It happened about three cycles ago,” Depth Charge explained.
“Why didn’t you come to us sooner?!” Cheetor bellowed.
“Would have,” said Depth Charge, “but something got up behind me and knocked me out cold.”
“That would be whoever controls the Vortex,” Rhinox thought aloud.
“Let’s go investigate the plateau,” Optimus ordered. “Cheetor, Depth Charge, you come with me. Rattrap, you’ll guard the base from any predacons. Rhinox—”
“Yeah, I know,” Rhinox interrupted. “I stay at the computers.”
Optimus could not hold back a smile. “Why, Rhinox, how did you guess?”
***
Blackarachnia opened her eyes. Where was Knight? She had followed him to a stand of boulders, then something had touched her and she found herself on the ground, alone. She was still in the same stand of rocks; she could only guess that something had knocked her out.
“Knight? Are you there!?” Blackarachnia called. There was no answer. “Hmm…I hope nothing’s happened to him.” She traced her steps backward, to the glen where she had been with Depth Charge only a few moments ago, it seemed. Depth Charge was not there, nor were any of his footprints. Something weird was going on. Blackarachnia knew she was pretty close to the Transformer’s arc, and that if she climbed a tree, she could see it. So she did.
After scrambling up an old beech tree, Blackarachnia could see the mountain where her friends were staying. But the entrance into the base was covered by rocks; the very same stones she and Silverbolt had dug through when she was still a predacon.
“This is too weird,” Blackarachnia whispered. She set off running, and after a few cycles reached the place where the Axalon had stood before it was destroyed. The Axalon was not there. Using her internal computer, Blackarachnia scanned for any robotic life-forms. The scanner read a big, fat zero. “I’m dreaming,” Blackarachnia told herself. “I have to be dreaming. Huh…”
Suddenly she gasped, for she saw two ships in the sky, crashing downward; and she at once recognized them as the Darkside and the Axalon.
“Is this some kind of simulation?” the black widow thought in perplexity. “This is weird; this is beyond weird…this is totally bizarre. It’s like I’ve gone back in time.”
Blackarachnia began to think, and perhaps there was still a touch of her predacon-like power-hungriness. If she were back in time, then she could perhaps change time as she knew it. Blackarachnia could stop Tarantulas from reprogramming her, then she would have never become a predacon, and then Silverbolt would be saved a lot of trouble. She thought broader. Why, what was to stop her from changing time in other ways? She could make sure that Silverbolt was not out walking with her at the time of the rock slide. Then he would be safe, and sound, and hers.
But should she really go through with this? Was it even possible? Dinobot proved that time could be changed but those particular instances—Megatron trying to destroy the Autobots, for example—were destiny. It was something that had to have happened. Dinobot and all the maximals were meant to be heroes from the beginning; they were purposely placed here to interrupt Megatron’s plans. If things were not all chance after all, could history really be changed?
Before Blackarachnia could make up her mind, there was something like an earthquake, and she fell to the ground. Blackness came from out of nowhere, and engulfed her like a sack. Soon Blackarachnia found herself almost entirely surrounded—no, within—the blackness. But there was a hole of sorts, a window, which still looked out into the Past. Blackarachnia felt she would rather be out there than trapped inside this blackness, but the hole was too small to fit through.
Suddenly a heavy body was thrown on top of her.
“Ugn!” a familiar voice came.
“Silverbolt! Uh—I mean Knight!” Blackarachnia exclaimed excitedly.
“Uh, you’re safe,” Knight said, though he sounded strangely breathless. “I wondered where you were. I got swallowed up by this blasted darkness—someone was fighting me—”
“Are you hurt?” Blackarachnia asked concernedly.
“I am…undamaged, thank you,” Knight said. Suddenly he got quiet, as if remembering something suddenly.
“Silv—Knight,” the spider said, “I’m sorry. That maximal you saw was Depth Charge. He’s is my friend, but that’s all.” She knew he was injured; being Silverbolt, after all, he was sensitive. “It’s not what you think. These past few days have been almost impossible for me, and they’ve made Depth Charge and I understand each other. Depth Charge has been a kind brother and guardian to me lately. Nothing else. Knight, surely you know, that you’re the only bot I could ever love.”
“Alright,” Knight sighed. “If you say so.”
“Oh, and Knight?” Blackarachnia asked.
“Yes?”
“Can you get off me?”
“Oh—sorry!” Knight fell to the floor and scrambled onto his feet again. “You are undamaged as well, I see. Good. I don’t know where we are, but we’ll get through this together.”
Blackarachnia transformed back into robot mode and, despite the circumstances, couldn’t be happier. She was with Silverbolt. The only thing left to do was to make Knight see that he was Silverbolt.
***
Optimus came back to base with Depth Charge and Cheetor, fruitless in their search. I knew it; I just knew it, Depth Charge though bitterly. I just can’t ever allow myself o get close to anyone. Some way or other, I’ll lose the people I care about. Always have, always will, probably. How could I have been so slagging weak?!
“Optimus, get over here!” Rhinox shouted, still at the computers. “Look at this!”
The five maximals looked at the computer screen. A message was coming up.
“A time like this,” Rattrap said, “and you want to check your E-mail?!”
“Shut up, Rattrap,” Optimus ordered, “and look at the message.”
“Maximals,” Rhinox read aloud, “I seem to have one of your maximals stuck inside my vortex. That, of course, I don’t mind—the more the merrier! But I thought it only fair to warn you that you won’t be seeing her again. No hard feelings; after all, when I’m done, there won’t be any of you to give any feelings. Lovely chatting. Adieu.”
“How dare that slag-spouting freak-bot!” Cheetor shouted.
“Shut up, Cheetor,” Optimus ordered.
“Now ya know how I feel,” Rattrap sighed.
“What does it mean, ‘the more the merrier’?” Rhinox pondered. “Optimus, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where the vortex is or how to access it. Hang on.” He typed a message hastily in reply to the one he had received. “I don’t suppose there’s any use in trying to negotiate?” was Rhinox’s message.
“I don’t think so,” the incoming message read.
“Nobody move,” Rhinox said suddenly. “Look. I don’t know who this is who is talking to us, but while his message is up, I may be able to tamper into his controls. I need to concentrate.”
Silence.
“I’ve got something,” Rhinox exclaimed. “Man, this guy has a high-tech internal computer system; he’s controlling the vortex and sending messages to us without even using a console. Hmm, here we go; the Vortex info and controls. It’s an unsteady vortex, just like I guessed; it’s unpredictable, but it can be opened and closed. The Vortex seems to be a portal back into the past. Blackarachnia could be trapped in the past! If I can get control of the vortex, then I can get her out. If the Vortex closes, she’ll be temporarily stuck inside it, neither in the past or in the present, just stuck.”
“But only temporarily?” Optimus asked.
“Only until the person who has control of the vortex frees her. Uh-oh.” Rhinox went stiff. “I think he knows I’m looking through his records and controls. Ah, slag! He’s closing up the vortex!”
***
Blackarachnia and Knight were, of course, no longer in the past or present. They were stuck between, in the darkness. The only light came from the opening which led into the past, and which was getting smaller as the vortex closed.
“We’re trapped,” Blackarachnia exclaimed, realizing it for the first time. “Is this some kind of time wormhole?”
“It would seem so,” Knight agreed; he then went and peered out of the vortex opening.
“What do you see?” Blackarachnia asked.
Knight gasped. “A maximal. He looks so familiar! Hmm, if I do say so myself, he looks rather handsome.”
“Is he silver, with a black faceguard and eagle wings?” the she-spider questioned.
“Why, yes! Who is he?”
“He’s you—I mean he’s Silverbolt. And you’re right, he is very handsome. And charming too.” Blackarachnia smiled. “What’s he doing?”
“He seems to be fighting; yes, now he about to fire a missile at—a female maximal. She resembles you, though a bit smaller, and yellow and black instead of blue and red.”
“That’s me,” Blackarachnia admitted, “in my Original form.”
“Ah, he will not fire at her. It is against his honor,” said Knight. “Oh, what’s this? It appears time has passed, and now you…you’re fighting him. Excellent fighting skills; you’re talented. But he will not fight back; he sees there is good in you and pities you as well. Now he is being blown away by some mighty squall, it seems. He is with you again! You are hiking along together through the jungle.” Knight was getting more into the story. The feelings he guessed Silverbolt must be feeling seemed to be his own feelings now. “Silverbolt goes across a log bridge, knowing he ought to go first, lest it should fall. He would not want to lose you. Now he is battling to save you—he is fighting a panther or something, but—uh! He topples off a cliff!”
“Then I save him,” Blackarachnia said, going through the story in her head. “He knows I’m meant to be a maximal, but I won’t accept it…yet.”
“Now,” Knight went on, “you and I—I mean, you and Silverbolt—are faced by a giant robot. He seems mad, and I step up to protect you. Silverbolt does, that is. The beast is a crab; he has me held in one of his pincers.”
“I hate this part,” said Blackarachnia.
“Don’t worry—friends come to help us. You are falling now, but I rescue you. The crab is defeated; I finished him off.”
“That part was cool.”
“Time skips again, and I—Silverbolt, I mean to say—looks heartbroken. I have lost a brother; he lived a warrior and died a hero. I look sad for other reasons, too. An innocent creature came: a disfigured, unintelligent being: a Transmutate. But she died. I heard that two maximals—a Tigatron and Air-razor, seemingly—have been kidnapped and we cannot recover them. Though Silverbolt seems sad, he is not giving up on you.”
“He never does.”
“Silverbolt meets you by a lake, but looks distressed. He is fraternizing with the opposite faction—with you—and this violates his honor and makes him feel guilty. But he knows he cannot give up on you. He longs for you to join him. His commander orders him to destroy you, but Silverbolt disobeys; he can’t stand to hurt you. Thus Silverbolt is punished and imprisoned; angry and riled, he gets violent and he hurts his fellow comrade. It pains him to do it, but it is for the adolescent’s own good. Now Silverbolt finds his love and…the spider-girl shoots him! How could she do that to me?”
“Sorry.”
“Time skips, and we are both in front of a giant ship. Megatron—how do I know his name?—is there with us. You save me from him. There is chaos, a time storm, and shouting, but with my help you manage to stop the storm. Phew. Oh no! You are in my arms, having sacrificed yourself for the good of the maximals! I assume you are dead but soon learn that you are only unconscious. Don’t scare me like that! Time skips, and now you are hurt or sick. I am worried. A large, green maximal tries to repair you, but a spider scientist interferes and causes him to fail. I am heartbroken. Revenge is all I can think of, and I pursued the spider scientist. I would have killed him, but the crab returns. And then…you’re back! I am utterly shocked, and utterly relieved! You rescue me, and you look like you do now.”
“Not too shabby.”
The hearts of Blackarachnia and Knight were completely open to each other, and both hearts seemed to sing when they were together.
But suddenly Knight cried out. The window into the past shut! Everything was black. No, wait, it was not altogether black. There was another window—Blackarachnia knew instinctively it was the Window To The Present.
“Shall we make our way towards the light, as always?” Knight said.
“Yeah—but hurry, it’s getting smaller!” the she-spider exclaimed. “And it looks so far off! How do we get there? I can’t see you!” She was frantic—she just got Silverbolt back, and now she might lose him. The vortex might close up, they might get lost in the dark!
Knight nudged her softly, and she felt his thick, soft, wolf fur. It calmed her down somewhat. “Get on my back,” said Knight gently. Blackarachnia did as she was told and, though it was not quite like riding Silverbolt, it was satisfying.
“Let’s go, Silverbolt,” Blackarachnia said.
The wolf made no objection to the name this time, but whether he had truly got his memory back or not remained to be seen.
***
“What, no! Stop him!” Cheetor exclaimed. “Don’t let him close the vortex!”
Rhinox shook his head sadly. “I don’t have control over the vortex, Cheetor.”
Cheetor stared at Rhinox. “You’re giving up?!” Optimus and Rattrap walked out of the room. Cheetor looked after Optimus. “You’re giving up?!” He looked ready to burst, absolutely fuming. “You—you pack of decepticon descendents!” he shouted as loud as he could, and ran.
Rhinox shook his head, and turned back to the computer screen. “Ugn!” Someone punched him; he fell out of the chair, seeing stars. Rhinox found that Depth Charge standing over him. “Whah…?”
Depth Charge reached down and picked up the rhino-bot with a vice-like grip. “You get that slagging computer working, or I’m going to scrap you,” he said, in his usual gruff, but cool and collected tone.
“I told you, I can’t!” Rhinox retorted, speaking loudly in the hopes that Optimus would hear.
“Look, the message is still up on the screen!” Depth Charge shouted in a vicious voice that would bring Optimus in for sure. “You said you could access this freak’s internal computer so long as this stuff’s up. So access the Vortex controls!”
“I’ll try,” Rhinox concurred reluctantly. He accessed the controls again. “Yes, I have control of these. But…”
“But what?” Depth Charge asked impatiently.
“But he has a set of back-up controls. It’s a battle now. Whoever can hold up their controls the longest, will be able to free Blackarachnia or imprison her. Call the others back in here; they need to see this. But don’t get your hopes up.”
Depth Charge grunted. “I gave that up a long time ago.”
***
Knight struggled toward the light; he wasn’t sure if his eyes were tricking him, or if it was really true, but the Window To The Present seemed be diminishing in size. It was harder to see. By the time he reached it, with Blackarachnia still on his back, it was too small to fit through.
“We’re too late,” Blackarachnia whispered. “Does this mean…we’re stuck here?”
“The door hasn’t closed yet, Blackarachnia,” Knight replied. “We do not give up until the door is closed. And besides, look! Someone is fighting in our favor.”
Blackarachnia looked at the window, and it grew in size. Then, after a moment, it shrank again. “And someone is fighting against us,” she observed. “I bet Depth Charge and the other maximals are trying to save us. Somehow they know I’m in danger.”
“Look! Whatever your friends are up to, it is working!” Knight exclaimed. The window out of the blackness was now big enough to fit through. “You first, Blackarachnia.”
“No.” Suddenly the spider looked stone-resolute. “I am not going to risk losing you again. You’re going first. I don’t care what your honor says.”
“Ladies first—”
“Shut up,” Blackarachnia said, trying to look angry, although amesment was seeping through her voice. They were at their old game again.
Knight agreed to go first as he saw that it really mattered to her. Before he could get up the window, though, a volley of gunfire went off. As Blackarachnia drew her own weapon, Knight instinctively jumped in front of her.
“It’s just like the good old days,” she said dryly, “when you always block my trying to shoot with your big, hairy body!”
“It’s my duty,” Knight smiled. His countenance went serious as he turned to face the darkness. “Whoever is shooting, will you show yourself? We mean you no harm, and if you desire a route out of this place devoid of light and fresh air, it is safe to say that we can aid you.”
Suddenly the Window To The Present shut.
“…Or not,” said Knight. “Ugn!” someone knocked him to the ground. “Blackarachnia, run! We’re under attack!”
Suddenly there was gunfire, and a scuffle between nobody-knew-who began. Blackarachnia could hardly see what was going on; she didn’t want to fire lest she hit Silverbolt by accident. Where was Silverbolt? It was so dark she couldn’t see him. Blackarachnia didn’t know how much time had passed before she was thrown to the floor.
Her COM-link clicked into life. There was some static, and then Cheetor’s voice came through. “Blackarachnia? Are you there? Please be alive!”
“Cheetor!” the she-spider exclaimed. “Cheetor, how did you find us?”
“Us?” Cheetor’s voice came. Depth Charge’s voice broke in to their conversation. “Hey spider, didn’t I tell you not to go get yourself scrapped?!”
“Well, whatever you guys are doing, it’s keeping me from getting scrapped so far,” the spider replied. “Just keep fighting to get us out of here. There are two others with me: a wolf and a robot, I think. I don’t know if they are maximal or predacon.”
Rhinox’s voice came through the COM-link. “No, Depth Charge, I’m not closing connection, for Cybertron’s sake! I just want to talk to her! Hello, Blackarachnia? One of the robots with you, is he controlling the Vortex? I mean, does he appear to be doing anything suspicious?”
Blackarachnia was getting more worried. What was happening to Silverbolt? “I can’t see.” Her voice was frantic.
Then the Window opened again. The smallest slit of light cast the battlescene into relief. Silverbolt was out cold on the floor and the other bot appeared to be fighting some kind of battle in his mind. “I can see now. That bot’s definitely up to something,” Blackarachnia said into the Com-link. She explained the situation.
“Blackarachnia, listen to me,” Rhinox ordered sternly. “If you have your gun, fire at that bot. He’s controlling the Vortex which you’re trapped in. As soon as you fire, I can make an opening out of there, but it will only last while he’s down in his moment of shock. When you see the opening in the dark get wide enough, get through it. Do you understand?”
“Yes, but I have to bring Silv—I mean, the wolf out with me,” Blackarachnia said. “I’ll try to grab him and we’ll both jump through. Here goes. Blackarachnia out.” She fired at the indistinguishable robot as best she could in the dark.
With a sharp cry, the robot fell to the ground. The slit of light expanded, and Blackarachnia could see the plateau outside, in the daylight, and in present time. She darted over to Knight and nudged him to get him going, but he was unconscious.
“Aw, come on, Bowser-boy. Don’t go dying on me now!” She grabbed his back feet and dragged him along as fast as she could. “Ooh, you’re heavy! Come on, Fido, you and I are gonna get out of this together.” But the robot which controlled the vortex was already getting up! Blackarachnia pulled for all she was worth. No! The vortex closed.
***
“Slag it.” Rhinox turned away from the computer in distress. The whole room was silent. It was over. Blackarachnia was lost.
“Your stupid ideas never help anyone!” Rattrap exclaimed.
“I did the best I could,” Rhinox grunted.
“I don’t understand,” Optimus said, with a heavy sadness in his voice. “She gave herself up for that wolf. Why?”
“She thinks it’s Silverbolt,” said Depth Charge. His voice was strangely hoarse. Why? He asked himself. Why should I be upset? I knew once I grew close to someone that they would disappear. But this thought did not cheer him up.
Cheetor had been dumbstruck thus far. He couldn’t believe it. “No,” he said. “No. No, no, NO!” his voice rose to a heartbroken yell. “I don’t get it! I don’t understand! This can’t happen!”
“Yes it can!” Depth Charge snapped. “It’s called the world, kid. Get used to it.”
“No!” Cheetor shouted. “If the world was this hopeless, I don’t think my spark would have ever come online. I wish it didn’t! Blackarachnia is out there. Slag it, so is Silverbolt! Can’t you feel them? We can’t just give up on them!”
Optimus stared at him. “… Maybe you’re right.”
***
Light. Blackarachnia had only been in the dark for a minute before the window opened again. She heard the cries of shock and fury from the robot she had shot at. Just one more pull. Blackarachnia pulled Knight through the door and it closed behind them. They both toppled over onto the ground.
Knight sat up. “We’re out! But…what…happened?”
“What does it matter?” she exclaimed, suddenly happy again. “We’re out! And we’re together. Knight, after seeing those scenes from the past…surely you remember that they are your memories?”
Knight did not answer. He didn’t know. He only knew that he did not want to join the maximals if they were as bad as Darkstar said. His mind was overwhelmed with thoughts about what to do—Darkstar. Darkstar would know. Darkstar usually always knew the answers to Knight’s questions. “Blackarachnia, allow me to escort you back to wherever you came from, and then—”
“You’ll come back with me?” Blackarachnia exclaimed.
“—Then I’ll go back to my pack,” Knight finished. “Only for a little while. I’ll see you again. I just want some advice from a friend; then I’ll return to you.”
“But…Silverbolt…does that mean you still don’t remember?” Blackarachnia seemed crestfallen.
“Not yet.” Knight hadn’t found that root yet; that connector—which could make him remember who he really was—was still invisible. For all he knew, Knight could be Silverbolt or just some other Transformer. He hoped he wasn’t a Transformer at all.
“Go ahead to your pack then, Balto. You don’t have to escort me,” Blackarachnia said with feigned cheerfulness.
“I’ll see you again,” Knight promised, and left.
Blackarachnia watched him go. So many things had happened so quickly. Her trip back in time, being imprisoned inside the vortex, those two other robots…but she was still alone. Silverbolt was still not himself. It did not make logical sense that Silverbolt could be alive at all, but she somehow knew it was true.
The sound of jets came into hearing as Optimal Optimus soared into view. Cheetor, Rattrap, Rhinox, and Depth Charge were all riding on him.
“Oh no,” Blackarachnia groaned. How had they found her? Until she could prove Silverbolt was alive, she thought it would be better to hide. Thus she ran out of sight. The spider-bot settled down, ready to rest and dream of a future plans for a life with Silverbolt. Together they would fly hand in hand.
****************************************
That night, Megatron was going through some records on his computer. “Black-Comet’s studies…Vortex control, time/space fabric…” he mumbled. “It’s all drabble! Wait…what’s this? Ah…shortly after Protoform X’s escape and the Omicron Massacre, Professor Black-comet disappeared. Yess…Ah, here. It was later conjectured that he stole a ship and took off for Earth.” Megatron laughed triumphantly. “And if he truly made it here, then that old miser is still moping around with the Time Vortex in tow. The disruption on the plateau was no coincidence, as I suspected.”
Inferno walked up to Megatron and bowed respectfully. “You sent for me?”
“Ah, yes,” the purple bot replied, with the infamous Megatron smile appearing on his face. “Tell Waspinator and Quickstrike to hold the fort. Rally everyone else to me. We’ve got a universe to turn to my own purposes, and little time to be wasted doing it.”
***
“Down there!” Cheetor shouted. “I saw her!” He was still riding on Optimus, with Rattrap, Rhinox, and Depth Charge beside him. “Well? Aren’t we gonna go after her?”
“Not now, Cheetor,” said Optimus. “More urgent business is at hand. Rhinox, are you sure about you said earlier?”
“About the computer?” asked Rhinox. “I’m positive. “I’ve repaired the parts of the computer that crashed. We can scan maximal and predacon energy signatures again, except for Silverbolt’s. I couldn’t recover his.”
“That can only mean one thing,” said Optimus. “Silverbolt is still out there, but somebody doesn’t want us to know it. That somebody is the entity that you said you sensed, Depth Charge. And whoever this person is, he can control a Time Vortex, and he doesn’t have an energy signature. Now listen, Megatron knows that a Vortex is a major tactical advantage—perhaps a way to change the past.”
“So what are we going to do about it? What can we do?” Rhinox pondered.
“You don’t think…” Depth Charge mused. He looked shocked in sudden realization. “You don’t think that that wolf Blackarachnia keeps talking about is Silverbolt? And…Silverbolt could be the one controlling the Vortex!”
“My thoughts exactly,” said Optimus. “If Silverbolt is alive, his surviving had to involve some strange incident with his spark—the power of a Transformer’s spark has not been fully explored. Who knows? Silverbolt’s spark may control the time Vortex.”
“Yeah,” said Cheetor in a dull voice, “except I doubt Silverbolt would try to keep Blackarachnia hostage inside a Vortex!” Cheetor was aware how wrong the other maximals were in their guess.
“Hey,” said Depth Charge, “Blackarachnia wanted me to meet Silverbolt; she’s not going to drop the idea. All we have to do is wait here for her to come with Silverbolt.”
“If you think you’re right, why don’t we all just follow her?” Cheetor asked impatiently.
“Think about it logically,” Optimus advised. “If this wolf is Silverbolt, he would have returned to us immediately. Unless, of course, his memory was wiped. Then he would naturally follow the instincts of his beast mode and live with a wolf pack. A bunch of huge, noisy robots trying to track down a clan of quiet and swift animals would be impossible.”
“I guess so,” said Cheetor reluctantly. “Man, a cat waiting for a dog to make its next move before he can make his own—if that isn’t wrong, what is?”
“What about Mega-brains?” Rattrap asked. “He’ll be comin’ heya too, won’t `e?”
“That’s why we’re going down to the plateau. We’ll wait for him there, and put a stop to his schemes. Weapons out, maximals!” Optimus ordered.
***
“Knight!” Brent growled. “You’ve been gone almost two days straight. The sun is setting. Where have you been?”
“Scouting,” answered Knight shortly. He was in no mood for long explanations. “Where is Darkstar?”
The black wolf, as usual, seemed to materialize out of nowhere. “Knight,” he growled, “I need to speak with you.” The two wolves went off by themselves. “You worried me. I needed you today, but you were gone. Now you had better explain.”
“I got lost,” Knight lied. He knew he couldn’t tell Darkstar that he had spent the day inside a vortex with a Transformer, and that he was passionately in love with this Transformer.
“You got lost?” Darkstar smiled. It was the same smile: too expressive, too knowing, for a wolf to have. “You lost yourself in the dark?”
“Yes,” Knight answered, shortly again.
“But it was daylight.”
“We were trapped!” Knight said quickly.
“Where?”
“U-underground,” Knight said, regaining his calm. “We were trapped underground.”
Darkstar looked disturbed. “…We?”
Knight was dumbstruck, lost to words.
“You and a Transformer?” Darkstar asked, growing angry. “You and that beast you insisted on rescuing earlier? Knight, haven’t I explained to you what they are? Murderers! Monsters!”
“But not intentionally, I am sure!” Knight defended. “I have never felt so at ease with anyone in my life.”
“Then maybe you do belong with them,” Darkstar said in a low voice. “I was a fool to think I could change you, to think that you could violate your heritage. You’re a monster and a murderer yourself, Knight; but I wanted to give you a chance. I gave you the freedom to decide what was right. Yet still…you are doomed.”
“I am not a murderer, and neither is she!” Knight shouted, hoarse.
“You’re a liar as well, I see. And what happened to your noblese obligue? I was a witness of our brown scout’s death, and that spider killed him. That makes the spider a murderer. Even if she wasn’t a killer, she is only one Transformer. One good one does not make up for an entire race of evil ones!”
“If the robots are truly and intentionally evil,” said Knight, “then Blackarachnia would know it, and so would I. We will be different from them. We will stand strong together, on our own.”
Darkstar shook his head and smiled sadly. “Like I said…I was a fool for trying.” He took off running.
“Darkstar, no!” Knight shouted. “This doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends!” With a groan of irritation, Knight took off after the black wolf. Darkstar was an oddity Knight did not understand. Sometimes he appeared to care for Knight and the other wolves; other times, like when he smiled that meaningful leer, he seemed only desiring to use Knight for his own purposes. What those purposes were remained a mystery. Knight thought he had seen Darkstar’s power-hungry look somewhere before…but where? Oh yes, on the face of a predacon.
***
Megatron, Tarantulas, Inferno, Rampage, and Dinobot II were on their way to the plateau. Dinobot was running alongside Megatron and they were both swift in their reptilian beast modes.
“Sir,” Dinobot’s clone growled, “what, may I ask, are we doing?”
“Going to find an old friend,” answered Megatron, “—an old friend who holds the key, or should I say Vortex, to victory.”
***
There was a deathly silence as the five maximals sat on the empty plateau. This was where, only a few nights ago, Cheetor had fought Depth Charge. He was glad Depth Charge didn’t tell Optimus about it.
Cheetor was sitting beside the manta-ray, in his beast mode. “Well,” he sighed, “this is a pretty good night: Blackarachnia is safe, and in a minute we get to shred the preds.”
“Don’t count on it,” Depth Charge said callously.
“What, you gonna hog all the predacons to yourself?” Cheetor asked. “Cuz I’m way faster than you could ever be.”
“No,” Depth Charge retorted sharply; “I mean don’t count on the spider’s being safe. She’ll be killed somehow or other. I still can’t believe she wasn’t lost in the vortex. How did she get out? What caused The Window to be reopened?”
“We did,” said Cheetor. He was silent as he thought it over. Maybe there was some truth in what Tigatron had told him—love equals strength. It was Cheetor’s care that had made him keep believing they would get Blackarachnia back. Everybody had given up except him. Could such an unscientific, unphysical thing as love be strong enough to open a vortex? Not that he loved Blackarachnia like Silverbolt loved her—but he was her friend.
***
Blackarachnia was a few miles off, hiding among the rocks. She was thinking similar thoughts. Was it really her hope and determination, combined with the care her friend was feeling for her, that opened a door out of her black prison?
The spider-lady shot her head up upon hearing a familiar noise. It was a wolf howl: the high, noble call which so often struck fear into the hearts of humans. Why were they afraid of wolves, she wondered? Yes, wolves had the power to kill a human, but one thing that made the animals so amazing is that won’t do it. Generally if sane and undisturbed, wolf would never attack a human or a robot.
On the other hand, Blackarachnia thought, the wolf which had attacked her seemed quite in its right mind. That black wolf had had the strength to tear her apart, which normal wolves couldn’t do. And where did that gunshot come from which had stunned her? Oh well. It didn’t matter now.
Her spark was with Silverbolt, wherever he was. The once majestic, graceful avian wolf may be temporarily disfigured and unable to fly or transform, but he was still Silverbolt. He was still Blackarachnia’s knight in shining armor: pure, strong, and fast, with the heart of a true Wolf.
Blackarachnia had been in her beast mode, hiding among some rocks. Now she got out of her hiding place and scampered off. She had to find Knight. No matter who he was, maximal, predacon, or wolf, memory or no memory, she had to find him.
***
Knight raced along through the woods which he had just recently run through to reach his Pack. Now he was running away from the pack again, after Darkstar. Knight soon lost sight of the black wolf in the shadowy distance ahead of him. Going at a slower pace now, Knight followed Darkstar’s scent. He noticed for the first time how unlike his scent was from any of the other wolves.
Soon Knight reached the edge of the jungle and was in sight of the boulder-strewn flatlands where Darkstar usually went. If Knight followed the flatlands far enough, he would come to the plateau where he had been with Blackarachnia just before they were caught in the Vortex. Straight ahead of Knight were these rocky grounds, behind him was the woods where his wolf pack was resting, and to his left and right sides were high, black cliffs. It was nighttime now, but to this wolf, like any, darkness was as welcome as daylight.
Knight sniffed around, his nose to the ground like a bloodhound. Darkstar’s scent led to the cliffs on the right. He was heading towards the plateau, Knight conjectured, only he was taking a detour through the cliffs. There must be a trail or a path, Knight thought, and bounded over to the shadowy stone giants. Yes, there was a path. It was a ########, and it led through darkness so black that it was hard for even a wolf to see through. But so was this wolf’s life: going through the darkness for the ones he loved. He was doing this for Darkstar. Knight had to show Darkstar that they could still be friends.
The disfigured wolf stopped in his tracks. The path stopped. There was nowhere to go, only sheer, black rock. Had Darkstar climbed the cliff? Impossible! No wolf could do that. The cliff was at least seventy feet high and almost all the way sheer.
Now I’ll have to go back and take the usual route, Knight thought. He sniffed the air once before he set off. There was a familiar scent on the air. A faint metallic, slightly oily scent. Transformers. Their scent came from both directions, but more strongly from above. Something was happening on top of that cliff! Knight had to know what. Blackarachnia could be there. She could be in trouble. The silver wolf took a deep breath and began to climb.
***
Five maximals and five predacons faced each other on the plateau. Cheetor held his large blaster in both claw-like hands and stood tall beside his leader. Optimus stepped forward, perhaps in an attempt to parley. Megatron, however, was in a hurry to win this open space for himself and wait for the Vortex Controller to come. He fired a purple, fiery blast out of his tail weapon.
Hit in the shoulder, Optimus reeled back a little. But his new, huge body was strong and was not badly damaged.
Depth Charge saw Megatron’s weapon go off, and took that as a signal for action. He transformed into beast mode and soared through the air, heading right towards Rampage. Dinobot’s claws flashed in the starlight as he jumped up and caught onto Depth Charge’s body. He hung by one claw, and before the manta-ray knew what was happening, Dinobot took his other knife-like hand and started mauling at the metal.
Rampage saw what was happening and, as usual, laughed. He headed over to the warrior ray under assault. “Saurian!” Rampage called to his spark-brother. “No fight’s a fight unless it’s unfair. Make it two against one—allow me to join you!”
Rattrap, in vehicle mode, zoomed over to Megatron. The rex-bot was too busy aiming shots at the aero Optimus to see the rat. Rattrap, not being able to resist, sank his stainless steel teeth into the predacon leader’s leg.
This caught Megatron’s immediate attention. “Aah! You inferior vermin!” Megatron tried to shake the rat off his leg, but this effort was to no avail. “Err! When I get my hands on you…”
“Royalty!” Inferno caught Rattrap by the tail and dislocated him from Megatron’s leg. “I’ve got your back, sir!” The ant-bot swung the squealing rat around by his tail and then threw him yards away.
Megatron smiled with amusement, and then turned around again to continue his target practice. In greeting, he received a whack in the face from Optimus’ giant fist. Inferno ran over to help his leader.
Meanwhile Cheetor and Rhinox, back-to-back, were firing at the other predacons. Rhinox had a certain Transmetal Tarantula on his mind, and Cheetor was in the mood to see that bone-faced clone of Dinobot blown to bits. This was easier said than done, since as soon as Dinobot knew he was under fire, he returned the assault and left Rampage to deal with Depth Charge.
Rattrap landed right on top of Depth Charge. “Yikes!” He jumped out of the way to avoid a smashing two-fister from Rampage. The crab then forgot about the rodent, and tackled Depth Charge again.
“Maaan, don’t you two bone-heads ever get sick ‘o fight’n each other? Hey Ray-boy, there’s a lotta other preds that could use the beat’n you’re always giving that crab cake!”
“None are more deserving of the beating, though!” Depth Charge grunted, struggling for his life. Rattrap ran off to help Rhinox.
Depth Charge and Rampage carried their battle to one edge of the plateau, where there was a ravine so deep neither of them could see the bottom. Across the twenty-foot wide ravine was a flat cliff-top with a pond on it, and beyond that was another drop. At the bottom of that second drop was where Knight was. Right by the edge of the first drop, the deeper one, was where Rampage and Depth Charge were fighting. With a mighty heave, Depth Charge managed to push Rampage off of him and off the edge of the cliff as well.
Rampage shouted as he plummeted downwards. “I’ll finish with you later,” Depth Charge promised, and turned to the battle. That was when he spotted the wolf. “Huh? What in the world….” He saw a black wolf among the rocks. Depth Charge flew over to the rocks.
The wolf did not run. Depth Charge moved closer to it. “Not another step,” said the wolf.
Depth Charge gasped. “Who and what are you?”
“Darkstar,” said the Black Wolf. “Y’know, you look like you might do.”
“Do what?” Depth Charge demanded, still somewhat alarmed.
“I seem to have an unlucky time choosing slaves. Every one who comes my way has some unexplainable-to-science pain go’n on,” the black wolf replied. “Plus, they’re psycho.”
“Well, if you’re a wolf and you can talk, then I must be turning into a psycho too,” said Depth Charge. “I’m not interested, dog. Besides, I’m no good to anyone.”
“Is that so?”
Depth Charge did not exactly like this wolf’s attitude, but a strange feeling was coming over him like this wolf was familiar. Depth Charge remembered his suspicion earlier that there was someone out there—a survivor of Omicron perhaps, like himself. No, it was all in his head. “Yeah,” Depth Charge answered quietly, “my home was destroyed. So was everybody and everything I loved.”
The black wolf sighed. “That place didn’t happen to be Omicron, did it?”
Depth Charge suddenly shot his head up and fixed his flaming red optics on the wolf. “What did you say?”
The wolf smiled. “Shall we…talk?”
